There is progress in solar electricity for rural applications in Bangladesh and India

1. SOLAR
ENERGY
Rural Application
Off-grid Systems
o Limited fossil resources and
environmental problems
associated with them have
emphasized the need for new
sustainable energy supply options
that use renewable energies.
o Solar power is one of the hottest
areas in energy investment right
now.
o Future of solar technology and
solar energy markets are
examined here and various ways
in which solar power presents such
an opportunity.
o Solar energy potential
in India
o Current solar PV energy
scenario in India .
o Power projects in India

2. The Sun is the champion of energy sources. It
delivers more energy to Earth in an hour than
we use in a year from fossil, nuclear, and all
renewable sources combined. Its energy supply
is inexhaustible in human terms, and its use is
harmless to our environment and climate.
Despite the Sun’s immense capacity, we derive
less than 0.1% of our primary energy from
sunlight.

3. Photovoltaic solar power
 A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell (PV), is a device that converts
light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.
The photovoltaic cell is a solid-state device composed of thin layers
of semiconductor materials which produce an electric current when
exposed to light. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar
panels. Materials presently used for photovoltaic include mono-
crystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, cadmium
telluride, and copper indium selenide/sulfide. The manufacture of
photovoltaic arrays has advanced considerably in recent years.

4. Most parts of India get 300 days of sunshine a year, which makes
the country a very promising place for solar energy utilization.
The daily average solar energy incident over India varies from
4 to 7kWh/m2 with the sunshine hours ranging between 2300
and 3200 per year, depending upon location. The country receives
enough solar energy to generate more than 500,000TWh per year
of electricity, assuming 10% conversion efficiency for PV modules.
It is three orders of magnitude greater than the likely electricity
demand for India by the year 2015. The highest annual global
radiation is received in Rajasthan, northern Gujarat and parts of
Ladakh region. Other parts also receive fairly large amount of
radiation.

5. Although many routes use solar energy to produce
electricity, fuel, and heat, none are competitive with fossil
fuels for a combination of cost, reliability, and
performance. Solar electricity from PV is too costly, to
compete with fossil-derived electricity, and is too costly to
compete with fossil fuel as a primary energy source.
Biomass produce electricity and heat at costs that are
within range of fossil fuels, but their production capacity is
limited. The low efficiency with which they convert sunlight
to stored energy means large land areas are required.

6. Solar PV has one of the highest capital costs of all renewable
energy sources, but it has the lowest operational cost, owing to
the very low maintenance and repair needs. For solar energy to
become a widely used renewable source of energy, it is imperative
that the capital costs are reduced significantly for Solar PV. For a
solar PV power plant, the approximate capital cost per MW is Rs. 17
crores. This includes the cost of panels, the balance of systems, and
the cost of land and other support infrastructures In India, where
most regions enjoy nearly 300 sunny days a year, is an ideal market
for solar power companies. However, the high cost of light-to-
electricity conversion at Rs. 12 to Rs. 20 per kWh has acted as a
deterrent so far.

7. Key Components of Off-Grid Energy Distribution Infrastructure for Solar Lighting.
Item Quantity Comments
Power Banks 14 These portable power banks provide 5 V
Direct Current (DC) current output to two
Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, which can
be used to power a LED light (below) and
charge a mobile phone. Each power bank
was assigned a unique three digits numeric
code with the first digit
of ‘1’ (e.g.,100, 101, 102…).

8. LED Bulbs 14 These are bulb shaped 3W LED lights that work when
connected to the power banks as these lights do not
have battery components.
Each LED Bulb was given a unique three-digit
numeric code with the first digit of ‘2’
(e.g., 200, 201, 202…).
Solar Lanterns 19 These are rechargeable LED lights. The difference
between a LED bulb (above) and the solar lantern is
that a solar lantern is fitted with a battery
and hence does not require connection with power
bank to function. Each Solar Lantern was given a
unique three-digit numeric code with the
first digit of ‘3’ (e.g., 300, 301, 302…).
Solar Panel 1 To charge the solar lanterns and the power banks.
(75W) Energy Routers 2 An interface between the solar
panel and the chargeable items (solar lanterns and
power banks).

9. Solar DC Nano-grids –
A promising low-cost approach to village electrification
Several solutions involving solar photovoltaic electricity generation,
such as solar lanterns, solar home systems (SHS), and solar (AC)
mini-grids are being actively pursued to address the energy
requirements of the people. These current solutions each have certain
limitations, such as high cost for the cases of mini-grids and solar
home systems, or limited functionality and expandability in the case of
solar lanterns.
There is an approach to rural electrification – solar DC nano - grids –
which attempts to address these limitations by providing basic energy
services at lowest possible cost, while using a system architecture
which is expandable and future-proof.

10. Consider small clusters of closely-spaced houses (comprising
around 20 to 50 houses). The solar DC nano-grids that are
developed are sized to suit this typical housing arrangement. Each
nano-grid comprises a main solar photovoltaic array for electricity
generation co-located within the housing cluster with a main battery
for energy storage. The individual houses within the cluster are
connected to this main generation and storage facility via cables
and energy meters. Electricity is distributed via low-voltage direct-
current (DC), thus avoiding the cost of an inverter. Highest
efficiency low-power-consumption loads are provided along with
the nano-grid infrastructure to ensure that resistive cable losses are
kept to an acceptable level.

11. A central system monitoring and transmission device sends
information about the system status to the energy meters in the
individual houses which allows for flexible tariffing depending on the
state of charge of the main battery and the solar resource. Any
households within the cluster having existing solar home systems
may also be connected to the nano-grid via an energy meter,
meaning that existing SHS infrastructure is not rendered obsolete by
the arrival of the nano-grid. In future, higher voltage DC
interconnection of nano-grids between clusters may be implemented
to form a wider-area grid by a process of “swarm electrification”(Groh,
Philipp, Brian, & Kirchhoff, 2014).

12. For participation in the DC nano-grid, each household has to sign
up for a membership. The membership fee consists of a one-time
payment that ranges between 500 BDT and 750 BDT (6.4 – 9.6
USD). After signing up for the membership the energy meter is
installed in each house and connected to the nano-grid. The
equipment stays with each household for the time of the
membership. Energy services are provided through energy service
packages. These service packages are based on loads. In a first
approach, there will be three service packages for lighting, ranging
from 120 lm to 240 lm. By signing up for an energy package, the
load and required electricity to run the load are provided to the
household.

13. Energy service packages can be ordered by each household on a
monthly basis, giving maximum flexibility to the end-user. Through
this model, up to 20 h of light can be provided to a household for a
monthly price of only 100 BDT (1.3 USD).
The described payment model ensures that only high efficient loads
are used and furthermore helps to bridge the financing gap for the
end-user. In future, similar energy service packages for fans and TVs
will also be offered. The key concept behind the DC nano-grid
structure is the element of efficiency. The starting point of
implementation was chosen in Bangladesh due to the high level of
local technology development in this area.

14. PV modules, efficient lead acid battery as well as ultra-
efficient LED technology are developed and manufactured
in the country. This results in three critical factors:
a) The overall system sizing can be much smaller than
with regular loads.
b) Cable losses are kept at a minimum even with small
cross sections that would otherwise only be used for
higher voltages
c) The cost portion that is required for the appliances is
significant, reaching 20% of the total hardware costs.

15. Once energy efficient loads are applied, differentiated
electricity amounts can be granted to an individual user
thanks to the smart meter. These programmable devices
can allow a user to opt for different packages of
electricity access. These packages were designed under
guidance of the current ESMAP developments for
measuring energy access on a multi-tier framework.
Hence, the number of lights and duration of service are
controllable by the user her/himself as well as the ability
to power a fan or TV.

16. The concept and benefits of a solar DC nano-grid for
implementation is demonstrated. Although DC
technology is on the top of the agenda in international
organisations, its full benefits are not yet implemented
and demonstrated in the field. The approach detailed
above fills this gap by bringing together smart energy
meters, ultra-efficient loads and locally resourced
technology that enable a multi-tier electricity access
infrastructure that is modularly adaptable and therefore
future-proof and upwardly compatible.

17. Any households within the cluster having existing solar home
systems may also be connected to the nano-grid via an energy
meter, meaning that existing SHS infrastructure is not rendered
obsolete by the arrival of the nano-grid. In future, higher
voltage DC interconnection of nano-grids between clusters may
be implemented to form a wider-area grid by a process of
“swarm electrification”(Groh, Philipp, Brian, & Kirchhoff, 2014).
For participation in the DC nano-grid, each household has to
sign up for a membership. The membership fee consists of a
one-time payment that ranges between 500 BDT and 750 BDT
(6.4 – 9.6 USD).

18. After signing up for the membership the energy meter is installed
in each house and connected to the nano-grid. The equipment
stays with each household for the time of the membership.
Energy services are provided through energy service packages.
These service packages are based on loads. In a first approach,
there will be three service packages for lighting, ranging from 120
lm to 240 lm. By signing up for an energy package, the load and
required electricity to run the load are provided to the household.
Energy service packages can be ordered by each household on a
monthly basis, giving maximum flexibility to the end-user.
Through this model, up to 20 h of light can be provided to a
household for a monthly price of only 100 BDT (1.3 USD).

19. The key concept behind the DC nano-grid structure is the element
of efficiency. The starting point of implementation was chosen in
Bangladesh due to the high level of local technology development
in this area. PV modules, efficient lead acid battery as
well as ultra-efficient LED technology are developed and
manufactured in the country. This results in three critical factors:
a) The overall system sizing can be much smaller than with regular
loads.
b) Cable losses are kept at a minimum even with small cross
sections that would otherwise only be used for higher voltages.
c) The cost portion that is required for the appliances is significant,
reaching 20% of the total hardware costs

20. Bibliography 1. Groh, S., Philipp, D., Brian, E. L., & Kirchhoff, H. (2014).
Swarm Electrification - Suggesting a Paradigm Shift through Building
Microgrids Bottom-up. In Proceedings of the International Conference
(pp. 69–73). University of California, Berkeley: Universitätsverlag der TU
Berlin. 2. IDCOL. (2015, January). IDCOL SHS installation under RE
program, Map. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from
http://www.idcol.org/old/bdmap/bangladesh_map/
3. Muench, D., & Aidun, C. (2014). Considering Access to Energy
Services. New York: Persistant Energy Partners.
4. Tenenbaum, B. W., Greacen, C., Siyambalapitiya, T., &
Candelaria, J. (2014). From the bottom up: how small power producers
and mini-grids can deliver electrification and renewable energy in Africa.
Washington, DC: The World Bank

21. June 25-2021- Mukesh Ambani during the 44th Annual General
Meeting of Reliance Industries announced a plan to build four giga
factories to manufacture and integrate all critical components
needed for the new energy ecosystem -- solar photovoltaic module
factory, energy storage battery factory, electrolyser factory, fuel cell
factory. We are launching our new energy business with the aim of
bridging the green energy divide in India and globally. It is a Rs
75,000 crore investment in green energy initiatives over the next
three years.
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani made a
slew of announcements related to solar and new energy business,
along with the launch of Jio Phone Next at 44th Annual General
Meeting (AGM) 2021.

22. Out of 450 GW of renewable energy target set by PM Modi by 2030,
Reliance is expected to establish at least 100 GW of the production.
An investment of over Rs 60,000 crores will be done in the new
energy projects to crate a “fully integrated, end-to-end renewable
energy ecosystem.” Reliance will also invest an additional amount of
Rs 15,000 crore in next three years in value chain, partnerships and
future technologies, including upstream and downstream industries.
This new project will also help the company to achieve the goal of
net carbon zero by 2035 announced last year. Reliance’s ‘green
vision’ will also be beneficial for its existing oil-to-chemical business.
“New Energy is the most exciting, most challenging and most
purpose-driven mission I will be pursuing in my life,” Mukesh Ambani
added.